


The Allure of Poison

by Kenziemightbecrazy



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action & Romance, Dominant Kylo Ren, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Sensitivity, Gray Force User(s), Jedi Luke Skywalker, Kylo Ren Angst, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Leia Organa Ships It, Lightsaber Battles, Lightsabers, Millennium Falcon - Freeform, Original Character Death(s), POV Original Female Character, Rey Needs A Hug, Seduction to the Dark Side, Smuggler Han Solo, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, The Force
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-02-24 18:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22042426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kenziemightbecrazy/pseuds/Kenziemightbecrazy
Summary: Santanico 'Nix' Prye is a rising star in the treasure hunting business. She's grown up hearing her parent's stories of mystical artifacts and grand ruins that lay undiscovered. With a passionate love for history, travel, and adventure, Nix set off at the age of 16 to live out her dream of archaeological discovery.  The lifestyle doesn't come cheap, however, and our heroine must do a little smuggling on the side to afford her adventures.After a failed smuggling job leaves her crew and close friend dead, Nix must make amends with their deaths and try to move on. She makes a stop on the sandy rock called Jakku and there she meets Rey. The need to escape her failing life drives her to help them, but she ends up in the middle of a war she wanted nothing to do with.Nix is also capable of using the Force, which makes her all the more interesting to both sides of the war. Now Nix must make a choice. Does she side with the light? Or perhaps the darkness? She feels a strong pull to both, how is she to choose? Nix's smuggling adventure turns into a deadly race to pick a side and end a war. She is thrust into a world she wasn't ready to accept. Now, Nix and co. must either win the war or die trying.
Relationships: BB-8 & Original Female Character(s), Finn (Star Wars) & Original Female Character(s), Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s), Leia Organa & Original Female Character(s), Luke Skywalker & Original Female Character(s), Poe Dameron & Original Female Character(s), Rey (Star Wars) & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. I Lost a Friend

  
“ _I felt like I had died too, and they just forgot to bury me._ ” – Unknown

My ship hummed gently in its usual, pleasurable lullaby as it carried us through hyperspace. I didn’t know where Gears had sent us, and I couldn’t find the strength to care. Not with the blood-soaked through my clothes. Not with my friend’s blood coating my hands, arms, and clothes in a thick layer. 

  
It was supposed to be an easy job. Steal some expensive stuff, split it amongst the five of us, and go on our merry ways. That was so far from reality now. Another violent sob heaved from my blood-soaked body at the memory of how naïve we’d been. We’d been so in over our heads. And now I was the only living witness to the losses. Four of the five of us were dead. 

  
Torba Rhosi; a Cathar with the slicing skills of a magician and a heart as vast as an ocean. Onassa Hyn; a Togruta woman who went from slave to successful smuggler. She was growing in popularity amongst the black-market circles. That’s why I’d asked her to come to begin with. Then there was Jal Zhag; a Duros former Resistance soldier who’d resorted to smuggling to keep him from being homeless. I guess the Resistance didn’t care to offer aid to its soldiers after they finally quit.   


The last to die was Zekk Daass. A Trandoshan, a seasoned warrior, and a master smuggler. And, my friend. It was his blood that I was soaked in. 

  
It was gut-wrenching enough to witness Onassa, Torba, and Jal’s brutal deaths. Our job had gone south. They died trying to fight their way out. Zekk and I had been so close. I’d had a booted foot on the ramp and then Zekk’s voice cried out in pain.  


He’d been shot. And not by a measly little blaster pistol, either. Whatever blaster those people had, it left fist-sized holes in my friend’s body. I tried so hard to save him. I dragged him onto the ship and into the med bay. No doubt there’d be a thick blood trail from the ramp to the bed his dead body currently lay across.

  
There hadn’t been enough supplies. He was bleeding too much. I couldn’t start a blood transfusion. Mixing human blood into a Trandoshan body would have only hindered him more. So, I grabbed the closest scalpel and opened him up. I’d done emergency surgeries before, but my hands had never shaken so much. I tried to stop the bleeding, but it was too late. But I kept trying. And trying and trying until Gears had to step in and pull me away from Zekk’s dead body. 

  
I hadn’t even let go of the scalpel yet. My knees had met with the metal floor and I hadn’t dared to move, even as my body shook violently and sobs poured from my aching body. I’d only moved once; right after Gears had pulled me away and I’d looked at Zekk’s body. At that moment, I saw him for what he now was. He was a dead body, not a patient to be saved. And the realization made the bile churning in my twisted stomach come up. But I hadn’t moved since. Not even when Gears cleaned up my vomit or when the droid patched up my insignificant wounds. 

  
I wasn’t squeamish, but I was afraid to look down at my body. I was afraid to acknowledge that the blood I was drenched in was his. Acknowledging that felt like a ledge I couldn’t come back from if I jumped. 

  
My body didn’t react when the coldness of Gears’ metal hands met my shoulders. Nor did I resist or aid him when the droid lifted me to my feet and carried me to my room. My body felt so weak and useless. Like I wasn’t even attached to it anymore. My chest had never felt so empty. My soul was ripped from my core and burned to ashes. And oh, did my chest burn.

  
I vaguely remember Gears helping me out of my bloody clothes and into the refresher. Or when he’d washed me and re-clothed me. I don’t remember blinking even once as he laid me in my bed and left me to myself. Alone with my decimated soul.

  
I didn’t come back to myself for weeks. After three weeks, I’d only gained back an ounce of control over my body. Just enough to use the toilet when my body said it needed to. Gears had to force me to shower and fought with me every day to make me eat. Mach had hidden during the downfall of the job. The little DUM series pit droid had hidden away, scared for his life. But that night when Gears had put me to bed, Mach came out of hiding and hadn’t left my side since. 

  
It’d been five weeks since their deaths. Five weeks of careless floating through space. After the fourth week, I’d started to eat again; if only to please Gears. I’d started to shower regularly again, and I’d gone back to routine ship maintenance. I did all the work, all the cleaning, all the navigation I could. Anything to keep me from thinking about Zekk. About his decaying body, wrapped in a tarp and tucked away in the cargo hold. 

  
Then, for the first time, I was back to myself enough to finally recognized the scent of decaying flesh permeating the cargo hold. It burned my nose and made the bile rise in my throat. It was starting to branch out into the rest of the ship. I took a deep, shaky breath. It was time to do something about his body. Zekk would kill me himself if he knew I’d let his body go on so long without a proper funeral. 

  
My boots thumped softly on the metal floor of my ship as I stepped up the steps and sat in the pilot’s chair. I took a deep breath, staring at the controls with my hands lifeless in my lap. Little Mach jumped up onto the armrest of my chair, hugging my upper arm. Gears stared at me silently from the co-pilot's seat. I stared forward, looking out at the vast, endless sea of stars before us. 

  
“We need to take care of him.” My voice was gravelly and weak, burning with every word. But it was progress and Mach chirped in celebration. 

  
“What would you have us do?” Gears’ robotic voice questioned. I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. My jaw clenched and I grit my teeth. I needed to find my strength. For Zekk, I must. 

  
“Land us on the closest planet. We’ll give him a proper funeral there.” I instructed, opening my eyes to the darkness of space. I could see Gears’ metal hand in my peripheral, reaching out and pressing buttons on the navicomputer. His head made a soft whirring sound as he looked up at me from the map.

  
“The closest planet is Jakku. Are you certain you want us to land there?” He questioned; his hand poised over the controls.

  
I took a deep breath in, holding the air in my lungs and feeling them fully expanded for the first time in weeks. I’d taken nothing but weak, shallow breaths these past weeks; in between bouts of painful sobbing. The air slowly released from my lungs and I nodded my head. 

  
The buttons on the console made high pitched beeping sounds as Gears set course for Jakku. My hands wrapped around the chair arms in a vice grip. My knuckles were turning white, but I didn’t dare let go. I needed to hold onto something, lest the pain find its way out of the cage in my mind that I’d stored it in. 

  
A small, metal hand gripped the arm of my jacket, pulling to get my attention. My eyes met with Mach’s little, dome-shaped head. He tilted his head at me as a small, sad noise vibrated from his body. He climbed into my lap and his arms wrapped around my middle. I sighed, tears burning my eyes but refusing to fall. My grip on the chair arms released and I wrapped both arms around Mach’s little body. Neither of us let go for a long, long while.   


I’d forgotten how much the Jakku sun burned your eyes. An endless stream of sunlight shined in as the ship closed in on the ground. The poor girl groaned in pain. The ship had been damaged during our escape; to what extent, was hard to tell until I saw it. A thundering bang sounded through the ship as it met land, the whole thing vibrating and squealing as metal scraped against metal. 

  
Gears was the first to stand. His metal feet clunked against the floor as he made his way to the slowly opening ramp. Someone had to talk to the shipyard owner and Gears knew I wasn’t in the mood for people. 

  
Mach and I stayed seated, waiting for Gears to come back. I knew I had to get Zekk’s body ready to transport, but I just couldn’t force my body to move. I didn’t want to see that; the decomposing body of my friend. I waited for Gears to come back and then I waited for him to do the job for me. 

  
Gears had thought ahead and rented us a speeder. Only one. As much as Gears would have liked to come with me and help me through Zekk’s funeral, someone had to stay behind and guard the ship. Jakku wasn’t the most lawful planet and unguarded ships were likely to be stolen. Mach came with me, though. He rode on the small, floating slab of metal that carried the supplies for Zekk’s funeral. And Zekk himself. 

  
It was a simple funeral. A few logs and a pike to hang his helmet on. I couldn’t help the sobs that heaved from my lungs as I watched his body burn. Zekk had been so passionate, so animated when relaying stories to me about his deity; The Scorekeeper. In death, he was with his beloved deity. I tried my best to take comfort in that.

  
I’d stayed out in the middle of the desert for hours, long after the fire went out. When I finally recollected myself and took the speeder back to the ship, night had fallen. Mach hopped off the speeder first, rushing for the ship. He didn’t like being away from his home. I was thankful he’d come, though. I wasn’t sure I could have done it alone. 

  
Gears met us in the lounge of my ship. He sat at the table, looking over a datapad. His metal head whirred to meet us as Mach and I entered the room.

  
“Ah, you’re back. How was it?” He asked. His robotic voice would forever be monotone and emotionless, but I’d known him long enough to know that he’d meant it with a sad tone. I took a deep, long breath and shrugged. 

  
“Hard,” I replied simply. Gears gave his best version of a sympathetic nod and took a quick glance at the datapad. 

  
“Would now be a bad time to inform you of our ship’s status?” He inquired, his whole torso tilting instead of just his head. I immediately nodded. Fixing my ship and re-supplying her would be a welcome distraction from the events of the last few weeks.

  
“Very well,” He acknowledged, “Our food and water supplies are down, fuel needs to be refilled, innumerable repairs must be made, and our medical supplies must be restocked.” He listed off robotically. I couldn’t help the way my breath caught when he mentioned our lack of medical supplies.

  
We’d been low when I dragged Zekk into the med bay that night. In the back of my mind, I know that nothing I could have done would save him, but I still felt the need to blame his death on our lack of supplies. If I’d just stocked up before we left, I lied to myself and thought that he may have lived. 

  
I allowed the air to leave my lungs, finally. I needed one more night of sleep before I could feel ready to deal with all this. 

  
“Ok,” I nodded, “We’ll start tomorrow. I need some rest.” 


	2. Time to Rebuild

“ _In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on_.” – Robert Frost 

“What the hell do you mean its 200 credits? That’s 50 more than last week, asshole!” 

  
To say things hadn’t been going smoothly would be an understatement. Having begun ship repairs two weeks ago, we had little to show for it. Most of my time had been spent tracking down decent parts at local shops, negotiating the price until I got a headache, and then eventually leaving empty-handed. These local shop owners were going to leave me credit-less if I took their ‘deals’. Nothing seemed to be easy going lately. It seemed fitting that the shipyard owner would choose now to up his prices on me. Because of course he would. 

  
“That’s the price, princess! You’ve been here two weeks! I run a shipyard, not a hotel!” The old man spat. I growled in frustration, wiping the sweat from my brow. 

  
I’d had a few small, rare artifacts in the cargo hold that I’d been slowly selling off for extra credits. I wasn’t broke yet, but I was running out of things to sell. I rubbed my temples, glancing at the state of my ship. In the condition it was in, I didn’t really have another option. 

  
“Fuck it, fine! Take the damn creds!” I shouted, throwing my hands in the air and stomping up the ship’s ramp. Gears stood at the top with an outstretched hand. 

  
“Shall I, Nixie?” He asked robotically. His head and torso tilted to the right, the same way and animal would tilt its head. I’d tried to tell him many times that he didn’t need to tilt his torso too, but it had fallen on deaf ears. Or whatever he used to hear things. I fished around in the well-loved bag strapped to my belt and dropped the credits into his waiting hand. 

  
“Yeah, whatever.” I sighed, shoulder drooping. I wiped the sweat from my forehead again and watched Gears hand the old man my credits. It’d been a long day. Hell, it’d been a long two weeks! I nodded to myself, deciding that a night of carefree drinking was in order. I fished a few more credits out of my bag before descending the ship ramp. 

  
“Are you going parts hunting again?” Gears asked, meeting me on my way down the ramp. 

  
“No, I need a drink. I’m going to the cantina.” I explained. He nodded, his whole torso moving as well. “Gears, you don’t need to – never mind.” I sighed, waving it off. I’d been trying to tell him since I was little. If he didn’t get it by now, he never would.

  
The thudding of my boots as I walked back down the ramp caught the attention of the old man. I made sure to flip him off as I walked by. 

\-------------------------------------

The obnoxious amount of noise inside the cantina may have bothered anyone else, but I welcomed the ear-numbing loudness. I’d always been more comfortable in it, even as a child. My mother often told me that, as a baby, I’d only sleep when music was playing, and the windows were open. It was a habit I’d never grown out of. Anything to get rid of the silence. Silence was my worst nightmare. It made me feel isolated, gave me time to get in my own head. 

  
There was plenty of noise here, thankfully. The loud music, laughing and shouting, clinking glasses, and the occasional bar fights all created a comforting vibration in my ears. Though, the noise was the only good thing about the place. I’d asked for the strongest thing they had, and I got probably the weakest drink one could buy. My thighs were also uncomfortably sticky. Two assholes had the bright idea to start a fistfight next to the bar and sent a few drinks spilling into my lap. Assholes.

  
“Stare at that drink any harder and the cup will shatter.” A voice commented sarcastically. My eyes found the source of the noise quickly – the bartender. A Devaronian male, he stood behind the bar with cock-sure confidence that radiated from him. He was red-skinned, with big horns adorning his bald head. His smirk gave me a good view of his sharp teeth and a little dimple peeking out on his right cheek. “Bad day?” He asked as he filled a glass.

  
“Bad year.” I corrected, taking a sip of the weak excuse for alcohol. The Devaronian hummed in understanding, passing the freshly made drink to a bar patron a few seats away. 

  
“The promise of a nice tip makes me a very good listener.” He offered, winking at me suggestively. I scoffed at the suggestion.

  
“For this weak ass stuff?” I asked as I raised the glass. He shrugged; that smirk widening.

  
“Hey, I don’t buy the stuff. I just serve it.” 

  
“Yeah well, I’m keeping my credits for now. The locals here are all assholes.” I complained, downing the last of my drink. The glass had barely touched the metal bar before the Devaronian snatched it up and filled it to the brim. 

  
“Sounds about right. So, what’s a princess like you doing on a junkyard like Jakku?” He flirted as he set the glass down and slid it my way. The weak alcohol sloshed around, splashing over the brim as I caught it. 

  
“I needed a vacation, I guess,” I answered, picking up the glass and tipping it to him appreciatively before taking a sip. 

  
“And Jakku was on your list of dream vacation spots?” The Devaronian asked playfully. He leaned against the bar and crossed his exposed arms over his chest. Even in the dim lighting, I could see him flexing his muscles.

  
“Hell no. I hate sand,” I grimaced as I downed a generous gulp of alcohol, “I’ll be picking it out of my clothes for weeks after I leave.” The Devaronian chuckled, the dimple on his left cheek making an appearance. 

  
“You hate sand and yet you chose to come to Jakku?”

  
“Well, it’s not like I really had a choice,” I sighed, shrugging my shoulders, “My ship is in desperate need of repairs and Jakku was closest.” He sucked in air between those sharp, clenched teeth.

“Ouch, how’d that happen?” He asked, bending down and resting his crossed elbows on the bar. 

  
“Job gone bad. I want to leave, but I can’t until I fix my ship.” I said before knocking back the rest of the booze in my glass. 

  
“Let me guess: the locals are charging you an arm and a leg for the parts?” The Devaronian guessed. I nodded at him, handing him the glass and gesturing for another drink. “Well,” He started as he filled my glass again, “I hate to see a damsel in distress. I know where you can find some cheap parts.” At this, I perked up.

  
“Really? Wait, how much will that information cost me?” I asked suspiciously. He let out a full laugh as he handed me what I decided would be my last drink for the night. 

  
“Nothing. As long as you promise to come back and thank me some time.” He flirted again, reaching over and brushing some stray hairs from my face. For the first time that night, a full, wide smile graced my face. 

  
“Deal. Now, give me the details!” I encouraged emphatically. He laughed again, resting his elbows back on the table and taking on of my hands in his. 

  
“All right! Ok! So,” He began, “There's this pretty girl who lives in a downed AT-AT out in the Goazon Badlands – a scavenger. She works for Unkar Plutt. He gives his workers some pretty small rations, from what I hear, so she probably wouldn’t say no to a nice pile of credits.”

  
“So, I should hire her and have her help me find parts,” I concluded, a pleasant feeling of hope sparking in my chest. Or maybe the weak alcohol was finally catching up. The Devaronian nodded with a smile.

“Exactly,” He agreed, “It’d be slower going, but cheaper than any parts you’d buy here.” 

  
I sighed in relief, finally having a cheaper option. Sure, it’d take longer, but I was willing to wait if it meant sparing myself my last few credits. With my hope and energy restored, I hopped out of my seat and slid my olive-green jacket off the back of the chair. “Oh, thank you so much!” I gushed.

  
“Sure thing! The name’s Kalt Drask, by the way. Maybe I’ll come by and see that ship of yours.” Kalt suggested with a seductive wink. I laughed openly now, feeling more relaxed. I nodded, leaning in to grasp his hands.

  
“Maybe you should.” I flirted as I snuck a few credits into his palm.

\-------------------------------------

What Kalt had failed to mention was that this scavenger’s makeshift house was about a three-hour speeder ride from Niima Outpost. Three hours on a hard ass speeder seat with Jakku’s sun blazing down on you relentlessly. I’d had to make a few stops for water breaks. At least I’d had the good sense to leave my jacket back at the ship and change into a tank top. How anyone could stand this heat, I’d never know. It was just another thing to add to the list of reasons why I wanted to get off Jakku and fast. 

  
When the downed AT-AT finally came into view, I nearly cried out in relief. My entire upper body was drenched in a thick layer of sweat. It dripped off my chin and traveled down my chest uncomfortably. I’d run out of water twenty minutes ago. I thought I would cry when I realized it. I may have been a seasoned treasure hunter, but I just wasn’t built for hot climates. At least in the cold, you could layer up. As hot as I was, I didn’t feel like riding a speeder through a desert, naked as the day I was born.

  
My thighs and ass were incredibly sore when I’d finally stopped the speeder. I was about 200 feet from the downed AT-AT. After all this, I was determined not to leave without the help I was asking for. My black boots kicked up the hot sand as I stumbled towards the girl’s makeshift home. There was no sign of movement. A curse left my lips between the panting. If this girl wasn’t home, I guess I’d just have to stay until she came back. No way was I going back now. 

  
“Hello?” I called out, desperate to hear a voice respond. No one answered. I growled in frustration, wiping away the many drops of sweat that fell from the nape of my neck. The ponytail I’d started my trip with had quickly turned into a messy bun. It hadn’t helped much. My hair felt like I’d gone for a swim. “Hellooooo! Anyone home?” I shouted again.

  
I was only about fifty feet from the AT-AT now. It’d clearly been there for a while. What remained of the legs had been partially buried in sand, leaving only one side visible. From what I could see, the girl had managed to make it into a cozy little home. The belly of the gigantic metal beast had been hollowed out to make room for living in. I continued to approach, curiosity urging my sweaty body forward. 

  
Suddenly, a female’s war cry broke the desert’s uncomfortable silence. Adrenaline hit me like a blaster bolt in the gut. My body whirled around, my right hand whipping my collapsible staff from my thigh bag. My thumb found the release button with practiced ease as my eyes met my attacker. A girl. Probably _the_ girl. The shiny metal staff made a sharp ‘shlink!’ sound as it extended to its full length. 

  
The girl made no pause. Her staff and mine clashed together. My father and Gears had collaborated to train me in my youth. With that training, it only took me a few seconds to realize how inexperienced she was. She’d left her side open. Without hesitation, my right hand launched the lower half of the staff into her side. I was quick to lean out of the way as she stumbled forward with a grunt of pain. She turned to face me, suspicion and fear marring her otherwise pretty features.

  
“Listen, I’m not here to – Hey!” 

  
She lunged at me again, swinging for my legs. I easily deflected her as I back away. 

  
“Hold on! I’m not here to hurt you!” I shouted. She paused, but continued to glare at me in suspicion, “I’m here to ask for help, alright?” 

  
Her features seemed to soften a bit, but she still hadn’t lowered her weapon. I sighed. My thumb found to button again and my staff retracted into its smaller form. It pained me, but I tossed it away from myself, holding my hands up for her to see.

  
“See? I just want to talk.” I said slowly. We stared each other down, panting hard as the sun beat down on us. She eyed me up and down, assessing the danger with calculating eyes. 

  
“What do you want?” She questioned me. I offered a friendly smile. 

  
“Well, I kinda broke my ship.” I began, “It’s an XS Stock light freighter. I need help getting the parts to fix it.” 

  
The girl stared at me for a moment longer before finally lowering her weapon. I breathed a sigh of relief, letting my arms fall limp at my sides. 

  
“Why do you need my help?” The girl questioned.

  
“Because I’d be broke if I bought the parts from the locals. I’ve got some credits and I promise good pay if you do it.” I bribed. My right hand reached into my thigh bag, pulling out a small bag full of credits. Her back straightened out and her eyes perked up at the sight. I sighed, wiping the sweat from my forehead. “Look, I just … I really need help, ok? I’ll pay you whatever, I promise.”

  
A moment of silence passed between us. It was agonizing to wait for an answer. I was desperate at this point. This girl was my only hope of leaving Jakku with some credits left to keep me afloat. I resisted the urge to reach up and chew on my nails. It was a nervous habit I’d managed to break, but the stress of the past few weeks had been getting to me. Gears had reprimanded me for it many times over the course of our stay here. 

  
“2000.” The girl blurted out, “I’ll do it for 2000 credits.” She held out a hand for a handshake, a friendly smile now gracing her features. 

  
“Shit, thank you!” I gushed, shaking her had firmly. “You have no idea how much this is going to help me. I want to get away from this sand as soon as possible!” I said as I reached up and wiped sand from my sweaty neck. The girl chuckled at me, walking over and retrieving my abandoned staff.

  
“This thing is amazing.” She commented as she handed it to me. I thanked her with a wide smile as I stuffed it back into my thigh bag. 

  
“Thanks! My father and I worked on it together. I’m Nix, by the way.” 

  
“I’m Rey.” She smiled. I tilted my head at her curiously.

  
“Just Rey?” I asked playfully.

  
“Just Rey.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Let me know how I can improve my writing! The only way to get better is to know my weak points! :)


	3. Secrets Don't Stay Hidden

“There are no secrets that time does not reveal.” – Jean Racine

Repairs had begun swiftly after finding Rey. It’d been a week and a half since I’d met her and already, we’d managed to scavenge a few decent parts. They needed a little bit of brushing up, but things were already going better than they had when I’d first landed here. 

  
Rey’s home had become a sort of base for our little operation. I’d had Gears fly my ship out here and it now sat proudly outside Rey’s AT-AT home. It was lucky that Rey had a workbench inside for cleaning and refurbishing parts, otherwise we’d have had to go to Unkar. The bastard charged for the use of his equipment and I wasn’t willing to give my credits to the slob.

  
Rey was good company out here, too. We’d quickly realized a shared interest in ships; both flying and repairing them. I’d noticed an old Y-wing computer inside her home the first time I’d been inside. When I’d called attention to it, Rey beamed with pride as she’d told me about all the ship schematics she’d studied and flight simulations she’d run on it. We’d quickly fallen into a routine. Wake up, scavenge for parts, bring our finds back to Rey’s AT-AT for cleaning and refurbishing, then eat dinner while we took turns running flight simulations. 

  
“Damn it!” Rey exclaimed from behind me. I couldn’t help but smile. She’d been trying to outfly me ever since we’d started this little competition. Apparently, tonight was another loss for her. 

  
“Need help?” I questioned innocently. She scrunched her nose at me.

  
“Not at all, Santanico.” She teased back, knowing how much I hated the use of my full name. My mother had gotten fancy with the name and I’d never been entirely thrilled about it. 

  
“Ugh,” I cringed, “I’m starting to regret telling you that.” She chuckled at my reaction as she took a seat next to me on the bench, where she’d left her plate of food half-eaten. I stuck my tongue out at her playfully before taking the last bite of my own food. Since I’d partnered with Rey, I’d asked Gears to cook an extra meal for her each night when he cooked my own. I knew how unpleasant rations could be, especially when they’re handed to you by an asshole like Unkar. It just makes the meal a much more bitter dish to swallow. 

  
With the last of my food gone, Gears’ mechanical body entered my peripheral and snatched up the dirty dish. 

  
“Thanks, Gears. Good as always.” I smiled up at him. He nodded at me in his usual head and torso way. 

  
“You’re welcome, Nixie.” His robotic voice replied. With that, he bent at the waist and gently tapped my head with his in an attempt at an affectionate kiss. Though the feel of metal tapping my head wasn’t incredibly pleasant, I’d grown used to it and accepted the gesture with a warm smile. I turned back to the table, watching Rey stare at Gears’ retreating figure with a curious gaze.

  
“Where did you get such a curious droid?” She asked, still staring as Gears began scrubbing the dish. I smiled at him, many memories flashing in my mind. 

  
“My dad found him on one of his hunts.” At the mention of my father, Rey perked up and whipped to lock gazes with me excitedly. She was fascinated by my stories. The ones about my own adventures or my father’s where her favorite thing to talk about. She was endlessly enraptured by the tales of other planets and forgotten ruins. I chuckled at her enthusiasm. I felt just as much wonder and excitement with every new find or piece of forgotten history.

  
“He’s an old assassin droid, right?” She questioned eagerly. I nodded with a grin. 

  
“Yep. My dad found him in bad shape while off exploring,” I explained, “Hunting is a dangerous business, especially for those with families. My dad brought him home and had a friend fix him up so he could protect us while dad was away.”   
“But he cooks and flies’ ships. And his mannerisms are so odd for an assassin droid.” Rey observed with a puzzled expression. I nodded with a laugh.

  
“Yeah, my dad had his friend make some customizations to him. He became family instead of just our protector. He even babysat me when my mother was out.” 

  
Suddenly, Mach’s little body bounced up and landed in my lap. The harshness for his metal feet landing on my thighs made a loud ‘oof’ escape me. He didn’t usually drift far from me when we were away from the ship. Rey and I laughed at the little droid as he snuggled into my lap. 

  
I reached out and grasped my half-empty glass, my choice of alcohol for the night sloshing around as I took a sip. 

  
“Want some?” I offered politely. Rey shook her head with a yawn.

  
“No thanks. I don’t drink.” She replied tiredly. I nodded, gulping down the last of the liquid. 

  
“How you can stand to be sober around the locals, I have no idea,” I teased her. She chuckled and watched as I took Mach from my lap and stood, “I’m gonna go and tuck in.”   
She nodded with another yawn.

“Alright. I’ll see you early tomorrow morning.” 

  
A groan escaped me at the thought. One downside to partnering with Rey is that she insisted on getting up at the crack of dawn. It was one thing I did not appreciate. Her laughter sounded out behind me and Gears, Mach, and I left to sleep on my ship.

  
“How about the Huttese word for ‘bounty hunter’?” Rey asked as we searched through the old, broken ship.

  
“Wee shahnit.” I pronounced as I wiped the dripping sweat from the back of my neck. It was still early morning, but Rey and I were already hard at work scavenging for parts. I was used to climbing, but the near unbearable heat of Jakku made it especially challenging. 

  
“How about ‘ship’?” Rey’s voice echoed again. 

  
“Fasto!” I yelled back, panting.

  
This was a small pastime Rey and I had made up a few days ago. My job as a treasure hunter took me to many different places in the galaxy and, thusly, I’d had to learn a few of the more common languages. Rey had found this to be another fascinating thing. So, to pass time, Rey would ask me to translate words in whatever language she chose. Today, it seemed to be Huttese.

  
“You know,” Rey began from above me, “I’ve always wondered what a Hutt looks like up close, in person.” I chuckled knowingly as I gently pried metal away from the ship’s inner wall.

  
“Don’t,” I said, “That kind of ugly will keep you up at night.” Rey’s giggle echoed above me. 

  
I dropped the piece of metal, allowing it to fall somewhere below me as I focused on what it’d hidden. Success! It wasn’t the most essential part, but a decent find. The only problem was that it was shoved far back. I stuck my hand in the hole and tried to grab it, grimacing as rusted metal scratched at my skin. The metal part was just out of reach. The tips of my fingers just barely brushed its side. I sighed, stilling for a moment, and watching Rey, who dangled above me. Her head was turned away from me. Good.

  
I reached into myself, finding that hidden part of me that’d been with me all my life. A power that was a constant in the corners of my mind. I tapped into that power, felt it grow in my outstretched palm. Taking the risk, I willed the part forward. A secret smile spread on my face when the part rattled and shook and sped to meet my waiting palm. 

  
“Blaster?” Rey called from above me, making me jump. My eyes darted to her figure. Her head still faced away, focusing on her own work. I sighed in relief. 

  
“Blastah.” I replied calmly as I pulled the part free from the wall. It was rusty and would be a pain in the ass to clean, but it was good enough. With a decisive nod, I opened my shoulder bag and stuffed it inside. “Score!” I called to Rey.

  
She turned to look down at me. Her lips moved, but I couldn’t hear the words. I couldn’t hear them because the deafening, screeching sound of metal on rusty metal tore my eardrums. Suddenly, the giant ship was filled with the sound, coming from all directions and the metal around us began to tremble. 

  
“Shit, the supports are coming down! We gotta go, Rey!” I called to her. 

Too late. 

  
Suddenly, the thick metal pole Rey had looped her climbing rope around snapped in two. She and I screamed in unison as she plummeted. She fell fast, passing me in the blink of an eye before her body was violently stopped in midair. I could only just hear all the air leaving her body. She swung below me, and I could hear her trying to regain her breath. 

  
“Rey?!” I screamed over the screeching metal. I pulled at my own climbing rope, lowering myself to solid metal as quickly as possible. Rey and I were at the same height now. The screeching around us was getting worse and rusty metal pieces began to fall around us. I screamed when a large metal piece landed on my little platform, shaking it violently. “Rey, swing towards me!” I called out, opening my arms to catch her. 

  
When she started to swing, my knees shook slightly. More metal rained down around us as the top of the ship opened up. Sunlight was filling the ship quickly. We could be struck at any moment. I chanced a quick glance above me and screamed again, diving out of the way of falling debris. Simultaneously, I heard Rey’s terrified scream. I scrambled to the edge of my platform. She was falling again. 

  
Terror ripped through my chest as I watched her plummet and I did the only thing I knew to do. I reached out one hand in Rey’s direction and channeled that hidden part of me. Rey’s falling body froze instantly. With a sigh of relief, I looked around for a place to drop her. 

  
There. The opening we’d come through. I guided her floating body to the opening and tossed her through harshly. I’d apologize for any bruising later. Knowing my friend was safe, I scrambled to my feet and scanned feverishly for a way to get to the opening. My eyes found a ledge across the ship. It was too far to jump. Suddenly, the ship let out a particularly loud rumble. A giant metal piece was falling a safe distance away. 

  
I reached out a hand and yanked it toward me, using the piece as a bridge to get to the other side. My chest hurt from hard breathing and my heart felt likely to explode from nerves as I ran for the exit. Pieces fell around me. I used my gift to move them away. I few small, jagged pieces cut through my skin. I could feel the cuts forming all over my body. But the opening was in reach now. A surge of adrenaline lanced through me and I jumped. 

  
My body met the hot sand and I instantly felt arms around me. 

  
My awareness faded for a moment. I zoned out; my brain demanded a temporary rest from the stress it’d just been through. Rey and I were on our knees in the sand. She had her hands on either side of my head, a scared expression marring her features.

My chest heaved and my ears rang. Rey’s mouth moved, but again her words were lost to my ears. Her hands shook my head gently, trying to bring me back. She looked fine and, despite the sting from all the cuts, I felt fine too. We made it. I took a deep breath and forced my brain to reignite. 

  
"I’m ok, I’m ok.” I assured Rey, patting her shoulder gently. She cried out in relief and drew me in for a tight hug. I tilted my head and stole a glance at the ship to our right. It’d been a while since I’d had such a rush of adrenaline. Even longer since my heart had beat so hard from a feverish race to freedom. A laugh escaped my lips. And then the laughter kept coming. “We made it. We fucking made it!” 

  
However, when Rey pulled back, she didn’t share in my celebration of our escape. She stared at me, wonder coloring her gaze.

  
“You – what you did. How did you – I thought people like you were a myth!” She exclaimed in amazement. I gulped nervously and stumbled to my feet.

  
“Yeah, um-” I stopped myself. What was I supposed to say? Should I tell her the truth? It was a risky thing to consider. As a being with Force abilities, anyone looking to make a good stack of credits would immediately turn me over to the First Order. If I were ever captured and they found out people had been helping me hide, those people would be swiftly escorted to an early grave.

  
And yet the bigger, more foolish part of me wanted to tell Rey everything. I missed having a friend a could trust. Mom, Dad, Gears, Mach, and Zekk were the only ones who ever knew. I missed Zekk; my friend that I could tell anything to. I loved Gears and Mach, but I missed having a friendship with someone who understood emotions because they also felt them. I sighed, Rey stared at me with a wide smile and waited for me to continue. 

  
“Yes, I’m a Force user,” I admitted. There was no use in trying to hide it from her anyway. She’d already seen it. Her smile stretched wider and the questions flowed out of her like a river. She was clearly excited. I was terrified.

  
“Rey – REY!” I yelled over her never-ending flow of questions. She paused, taking in my serious expression. Her smile dropped instantly, and her brows furrowed in concern. 

  
“What is it?” She asked gently. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose before reaching out and squeezing her shoulders tight. 

  
“I promise you; I will tell you anything you want to know. But you can’t tell anyone,” I told her calmly, looking into her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted quickly, “I mean it, Rey! If anyone finds out what I am, they’ll cart me off to the First Order to make a pretty penny and the First Order will kill you for knowing about me and not saying anything!” 

  
At that moment, I saw Rey’s bravery come to light. Instead of fear – instead of running away as she should have – she pinned me with a determined expression and nodded.

  
“You’re my friend. I promise I won’t say anything.” She assured confidently. I nodded, the tension in my body releasing its constricting hold. 

  
“OK,” I nodded with a grateful smile, “What do you want to know?”

  
I could swear my throat had started to grow sore from all the explaining Rey had demanded of me. But I’d promised her to tell her everything. So, Rey and I sat in the sand outside her AT-AT home and I answered all her questions. I hadn’t held back. When she asked, I told the truth.

  
She asked when I’d found out I could use the Force and I was honest. I was four. She wondered about all the things I could do. Even I wasn’t sure. I’d spent my whole life training, though. My mom and dad had insisted on it the moment they realized that I had abilities. I trained based on the legends that were still whispered in elderly circles and whatever relics my dad found on his treasure hunts. I didn’t know if I’d ever truly know everything I could do. And the scared part of me wanted to keep it that way.

  
The Jakku suns were setting and the hot sand was finally cooling off for the evening. Rey and I were giggling uncontrollably as I told her the tale of the first time I took Gears with me on a hunt. 

  
“I swear, I was picking dried Bantha dung out of his parts for a week afterward!” I exclaimed, struggling between laughs. Gears was behind us, shaking his head at me for bringing it up…which only made us laugh harder.

  
Suddenly, Rey and I were sobered up as a commotion echoed out in the desert beyond us. Rey instantly brandished her staff and I whipped my own foldable one out of my thigh bag.

  
“Gears-” the foldable staff made a familiar ‘shlink’ sound as I extended it, “-keep watch.” 

  
Rey and I nodded at each other and raced off in the direction of the noise. Unfortunately for us, the noise we heard wasn’t intruders or anything remotely dangerous. A scummy alien sat atop his mount and was struggling to drag along a poor little droid he’d caught in a net. I scuffed in disgust. Some people had absolutely no respect for droids. With a shake of my head, I folded and stored my staff in my thigh bag before charging through the sand with an angered Rey hot on my heels.

  
“Hey,” I called out, “Let him go, dipshit!” 

  
The alien started yelling what I assumed to be profanities at me as I grabbed the net and pulled. Rey grabbed the alien’s leg before his flying foot could hit my face. She shoved it away harshly and hissed at him in an alien language. The scumbag alien waved his hand exasperatedly and encouraged his mount away. 

  
Rey scowled after him with a sigh and then bent down to the little droid. He beeped his thanks excitedly and I couldn’t help but smile. 

  
“You’re welcome,” Rey replied with a nod. I bent down to the little guy too, staring at him curiously.

  
“Where did you come from, little guy?” I questioned. He responded to me in a series of beeps, refusing to answer my question. Beside me, Rey nodded.

  
“Well,” she began as she stood and brushed the sand from her knees, “Niima outpost is that way. Be careful of the Sinking Fields to the north. You’d drown in the sand.” With that, she began trekking back to her AT-AT home. I stared at her retreating back in confusion as the little droid beeped after her. 

  
“Yeah, Rey! We should at least take him back to the outpost.” I agreed. She stopped and turned to face me and our new friend.

  
“I don’t want to travel to the outpost at night.” Rey reasoned exasperatedly. 

  
“So, he stays with us tonight and we take him there in the morning.” I reasoned hopefully. Rey stared at the little white and orange droid for a moment before sighing.

  
“Fine.” She relented before turning back and continuing her trek home. The droid beeped up at me, questioning her behavior. 

  
“She just needs some time. I promise, she’ll warm up to you by morning.” I assured, reaching down to pat his little head. He gave an excited beep and the two of us followed after my grumpy friend.


End file.
